Meher Baba's Life & Travels
Anthony Walter Dayrell Brooke
Last White Rajah of Sarawak ( The Rajah Muda of Sarawak )
Born : 10th December, 1912 - England
Died : 2nd March, 2011 - Wanganui, New Zealand ( aged 98 )
Married : (1) Kathleen Mary Hudden - married 1939 & divorced 1965
(2)
Brigette( Gita ) Keller - married 1982 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Children : 3 from Kathleen's marriage
James, Angela, Celia
Parents : Bertrum Brooke & Gladys Palmer
Nationality : ENGLISH
1965
Nariman came to Meherazad on 17 March 1965, as did Padri on one of his routine visits. Two days later on the 19th, an unexpected visitor, Sir Anthony Brooke, 53, arrived. Brooke belonged to a prominent British aristocratic family, and had been appointed as the Rajah of Sarawak for one year. Brooke was interested in spirituality and had learned where Baba resided from Maud Kennedy in England.
He intended to travel in India, visiting the ashrams of different saints, such as Aurobindo and Ramana Maharshi.
Brooke arrived at Khushru Quarters in a tonga. Adi was surprised to see a distinguished Englishman get down from the tonga. Humbly, the man asked about Baba. "Did he receive my letter?" he inquired. No letter had been received. It turned out that Brooke had written to Baba c/o the Pimpalgaon Postmaster, who delivered his letter that same morning.
Adi explained that Baba was in seclusion and inquired of the visitor who he was. "I am from Sarawak," Brooke replied. "I am the Rajah of Sarawak. I have come all the way to see Meher Baba."
In the meantime, after Brooke's letter was read to Baba, a note was sent to Adi permitting him to bring Brooke, which he did at 11:00 A.M. Brooke was shown into mandali hall where he fell at Baba's feet. Baba embraced him and spoke with him briefly.
About his meeting, Brooke related: "I was drawn there at that time by the power of love and, on arriving, I flowed straight into Baba's arms. Few words passed, so far I can recall. Baba was very frail, and after sitting in front of him for a few minutes, I left."
Brooke left the same night by train for Bombay. He later wrote to Maud Kennedy: "[The] meeting with beloved Baba was quite beyond words. It was the briefest possible, but everything was in it. He is Pure Love."
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On July 17th, 1965, Anthony Brooke came to see Maud Kennedy in Lower Heyford with a friend, Mrs. Monica Parish. They talked about Meher Baba and his meeting with him: |
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Anthony told me what occurred in India. He found his way to the Bombay Baba Center and then to Ahmednagar and was interviewed by Adi K. Irani, who told him there was not much hope of seeing Baba as he was in seclusion. However, Adi went and asked Baba and Baba said yes – he would see Anthony for three minutes. So, of course, he went to Meherazad immediately. Once in Baba's presence, Anthony walked toward Baba and knelt down before him with bowed head. Baba raised him up and motioned him to sit down on a chair. Anthony spoke a few words about himself and then asked Baba, "Who is the Master of St. Annes?" Baba smiled lovingly and pointed to himself. After three minutes and receiving Baba's blessing, Anthony left. |
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On October 11th, 1965, another letter was written from Anthony Brooke to Maud Kennedy: |
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I enjoyed your letter so much. Bless you, but I can only be brief in return. In answer to your question, I have no absolute inner feeling or conviction about the Avatarship of Baba, but he is a Perfect Master I have no doubt. It seems we each have a certain path and approach we need to tread, and after all my travel experiences, including ashrams and Buddhist meditation centers, I am in some inner way being curiously pressed back into the New Testament, seeing new meaning in it. Strange, but it is the way I have to go.
Lord Meher - p. 6322
NOTE : There are 2 possible meanings of the question asked by Brooke. 1. Who is the person in charge of St.Anne's College in Oxford at the time or 2. Who is or was the influence behind St.Anne, the mother of Mary who was the mother of Jesus Christ. |
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http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17299633
http://story-of-sarawak.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/passing-of-anthony-brooke-on-mar-2-2011.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/politics-obituaries/8365045/Anthony-Brooke.html
http://gyeejong.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/anthony-brooke-at-pustaka-miri.html
SARAWAK ( now part
of Malaysia )
The state of Sarawak originally formed part of the hereditary domains of the Sultan of Brunei, though his control over it was more apparent than real. The Dayak tribes and pirates that inhabited the territory were fiercely independent, frequently rejecting the Sultan's authority. At least, so things stood until the arrival of a young English adventurer from India. James Brooke, a former army officer from Bengal, arrived on the scene in the late 1830's. Entering the Sultan of Brunei's service, he set about pacifying the wild territory known as Sarawak. Succeeding in his task, he first secured appointment as the Sultan's Governor, but succeeded in establishing his independence in 18th August 1842. He secured the title of Rajah of Sarawak and had this recognised by Great Britain. He conquered a vast slice of the North Eastern coast of Borneo, so large that it was to dwarf the domains of his erstwhile suzerain. He left his vast domain to his nephew, younger son of one of his surviving sister. Charles Brooke, the second Rajah of Sarawak, greatly extended and pacified his inheritance. He expanded trade and commerce, encouraged immigration and accepted a British Protectorate over Sarawak, 14th June 1888. Charles was succeeded in 1917 by his third, but eldest surviving son, Charles Vyner. His reign lasted 39 years, but his interests lay outside Sarawak. The Japanese invaded and conquered the Raj on Christmas day 1941, forced him into exile in Australia. He formally ceded his rights to the British Crown on 1st July 1946, in return for a large pension, and retired to England. Administered as a Crown Colony until 1963, Sarawak, together with the former British North Borneo and the Federation of Malaya, came together to form the new kingdom of Malaysia on 16th September 1963.
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